A DIALOGUE BETWEEN HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS & TECHNOLOGISTS WILL DRIVE GLOBAL SOCIAL & POLITICAL CHANGE.

THE WICKR FOUNDATION IS THE CATALYST THAT ENABLES THIS CONNECTION TO BUILD A WEB THAT ADVANCES CIVIL LIBERTIES AROUND THE WORLD

EDUCATION LEVELS THE GLOBAL PLAYING FIELD

"UNDERSTANDING YOUR OWN POWER TO FIGHT BACK USING TECHNOLOGY INSPIRES EVERYONE — KIDS & HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS — TO BUILD A BETTER, MORE SECURE WEB”

— Nico Sell, CEO of 533DZ Foundation

RAISING THE PRIVACY BAR

WHO WE ARE

WE NEED BOTH THE PUBLIC & THE PRIVATE WEB TO ENSURE THE INTERNET REMAINS A POWERFUL PLACE FOR REAL HUMAN CONNECTIONS.

— 533DZ Foundation

533DZ Foundation is a global initiative with a mission to advance the Private Web and transform how society uses the Internet. In addition to educating the public on privacy and information security, 533DZ Foundation operates a venture fund investing in hackers to change the world.

Investing in hackers

533DZ Foundation’s strategy is to accelerate the pace and the scale of Internet transformation by supporting entrepreneurs dedicated to empowering their users to take back the ownership and control over their data. In pursuit of our non-profit venture mission, we raise charitable donations to invest in ideas and teams that have the most potential for positive social impact.

Educating the Public on Privacy & Information Security

533DZ Foundation seeks to advance digital privacy and security by educating the public about user control and ownership. We train activists, journalists, kids, and policy-makers around the world, empowering them to make informed personal and policy decisions about the Internet. Our goal is to make hacking, a.k.a. STEM, fun and accessible to everyone.

Protect the United States by protecting the global web

The current approach is still largely based on an antiquated defense vs. offense framing of information security. In fact that the Web is a global resource that must be treated as such to sustain our economic growth and stability and that means avoiding binary definitions of online threats. MORE HERE

CSIS Cyber Policy Task Force

As part of the bipartisan Cyber Policy Task Force hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a group of the nation’s leading cybersecurity experts guided by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and Chairman Michael McCaul, recently released recommendations for the next administration on bolstering US cyber defenses.

Recommendations on cyber security for the 45th president… Use more hackers

We Can Still See you: Why Metadata Should Not Live Forever

How Far Are We Willing to Go to Achieve Cyber Security?

From the Post Office to the Private Web

OUR APPROACH & ONGOING INITIATIVES

The global networks that have been built over the past decade were instrumental in connecting people and ideas around the world. With more data being uploaded online every day, each one of us personally and our global information systems become critically vulnerable to attacks.

Now is the time to begin building the Private Web, where we own and control our conversations and information. The goal is to empower the tech industry to design applications that enable truly safe and secure human connection.

The 533DZ Foundation is founded on a strong belief that together, through innovation, global advocacy and education we can safely connect the world.

To ensure the Web is safe for all its beneficiaries, 533DZ Foundation is working to address the issues of security accessibility, privacy and cyber awareness, policy advancement, and security education.

Credit: cea+ via Flickr

Human Rights Security Lab

The Human Rights Security Lab is working to bridge the gap between information security innovators and democracy activists by making technology like end-to-end encryption, anonymous browsing, and VPN accessible and intuitive.

Credit: Chris Brown via Flickr

Privacy Monitor

With the Privacy Monitor initiative, 533DZ Foundation is providing journalists across major world newsrooms with access to free training on the latest privacy risks to their communications and ways to protect sources.

Hack the Policy Initiative

Through experiential hacker workshops, 533DZ Foundation is empowering policy-makers to learn from their own kids about emerging cyber vulnerabilities to inform government decision-making.

WhiteHat U for Kids

In collaboration with the best hackers, 533DZ Foundation is developing ways to make white-hat hacking education available to children for free to fill the need for the next generation of cyber security experts.

HUMAN RIGHTS VOICES

To bridge the gap between tech and human rights communities and raise awareness on the importance of security and privacy protections, we continue to bring stories of activists endangering their lives to advance human rights through creativity, political wit, and technology.

Marina Nemat is an Iranian author and former prisoner of conscience. She was imprisoned at the age of 16 for criticizing Ayatollah’s regime. During her incarceration, she was interrogated, tortured, faced execution, and was raped by a prison guard who she was coerced to marry. After the guard was killed, Nemat was released and fled to Canada. “Prisoner of Tehran,” her memoir, was an international bestseller and is currently being adapted for film.

Nemat was the recipient of the European Parliament’s inaugural Human Dignity Prize in 2007. Currently, she sits on the board of directors for the Canadian Center for Victims of Torture and teaches memoir writing at the University of Toronto.

Suleiman Bakhit is a Jordanian social entrepreneur, activists and best-selling comic book creator. Bakhit is the CEO of Aranim Media Factory, which sold 1.2 million comics in 2010. He is also the founder of the Hero-Factor project, an organization dedicated to promoting heroism as an antidote to extremism for Middle Eastern youth.

Bakhit focuses his work on the development of stories, myths, and heroes that promote tolerance and counter a culture of extremism and discrimination against women and girls. Bakhit was motivated to create his company after experiencing discrimination in the U.S. after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Bakhit is a TED Global Fellow.

EDUCATION LEVELS THE GLOBAL PLAYING FIELD

The same technology that has empowered millions of people to demand political and social change is being used by oppressive regimes worldwide to surveil and suppress dissent. 533DZ Foundation, through teaching kids cryptography, white-hat hacking, and cyber security, empowers the next generation around the world to build safer Web and protect their communities.

WE PARTNER WITH LEADING EXPERTS AND ORGANIZATIONS TO BRING CYBER SECURITY EDUCATION TO THOSE WHO NEED IT MOST

RAISING THE PRIVACY BAR

We promote deeper understanding and bold thinking about how privacy affects each and every aspect of our lives, economy, and global security. We help policymakers and technologists push the boundaries beyond outdated ideas to inspire a proactive vision for the Private Web.

Welcome to DefCon, the largest gathering of hackers in the world. In the crowd is Nico Sell. Sell is founder and chairman of the online privacy organization, Wickr Foundation. She's on a mission to change our perception of hackers, from sinister antagonists to invaluable assets.